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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22822321">Arrival</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/youdbetterbeready/pseuds/whatdidyouexpect'>whatdidyouexpect (youdbetterbeready)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Casket of Ancient Winters, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), M/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, One Word Prompts, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Pre-Thor (2011), Time Travel Fix-It</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 12:21:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,812</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22822321</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/youdbetterbeready/pseuds/whatdidyouexpect</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"The impotent fury that accompanied his abrupt, Stormbreaker-assisted departure from The Garden is only just beginning to dissipate, and even the bodily adjustments necessary now that he has stopped hurtling unwittingly through space and time and must ostensibly stand upright pale in light of Loki drawing closer, curious and cautious and nearly -- there."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Loki/Thor (Marvel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Arrival</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/patientalien/gifts">patientalien</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/561151">300+ One-Word Writing Prompts (The Five Senses)</a> by Michael Kwan.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I haven't quite found the Infinity War Thor time travels back to the pre-Thor 1 era to save his brother fix-it 'fic in the exact flavor that I've yearned for since learning of Loki's alleged IW fate, so I wrote one, albeit somewhat scaled down via the one-word prompt format (about all I can handle at the moment, honestly), courtesy of a neat collection from the Love to Know website. Also, I'd be lying if I claimed that this commissioned Thorki picture by aivelin wasn't frequently on my mind whenever I considered this scenario: https://aivelin.tumblr.com/post/182771636646/commission-of-a4-thor-finding-a1-loki-by. Story title is from the Endgame score by Alan Silvestri. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>1. Warmth: He isn't prepared for the tepid warmth of Asgard, has perhaps even suppressed the memory of it on his skin for his own good, even though he suspects it is seared into his very soul; and while not oppressive per se, it is nonetheless overwhelming in its familiarity.</p><p>2. Blinded: He supposes he isn't ever going to be absolutely ready to see him again, but in a literal blink of an eye, he's suddenly just there, alive and before him and unblemished in ways he wouldn't even begin to suspect, and Thor's next blink does nothing to keep him from being blinded by the immediate onslaught of tears that follow.</p><p>3. Quiet: Asgard is quiet compared to the bustle of the Avengers compound, or even the roar of space, and Thor finds the near-silence somehow deafening.</p><p>4. Chills: It could be the general temperature change that causes his sudden chills, but far more likely the culprit is his body's inborn reaction to the achingly familiar lilt he'd thought he would never hear again: "Th-Thor -- ?"</p><p>5. Stuffed: This day has been stuffed with so many twists and turns, and Thor's head and heart struggle not to capsize in the waves of memories that threaten to overtake them. </p><p>6. Breath: Deep breathing helps a little, each exhale bringing further clarity and inquiry alike, and then finally, the ability to venture a shaky, wondrous exhalation: "Loki."</p><p>7. Floral: The impotent fury that accompanied his abrupt, Stormbreaker-assisted departure from The Garden is only just beginning to dissipate, and even the bodily adjustments necessary now that he has stopped hurtling unwittingly through space and time and must ostensibly stand upright pale in light of Loki drawing closer, curious and cautious and nearly -- there.</p><p>8. Spotted: Loki appears to be mentally spotting and cataloguing the differences between this Thor and his own; eventually, cool, aristocratic fingers reach out and brush the scar embedded in the flesh around his replacement eye, as if seeking secondary sensory confirmation that, in fact, this unfamiliar Thor is no less here, no less real than the one he had interacted with only moments prior.</p><p>9. Putrid: He has imagined variations of this exact moment on an endless mental loop, the putrid sound of Loki's neck bone snapping under immense pressure a recurring reminder of his failure.</p><p>10. Starving: Internally, his stomach is trapped somewhere between days' worth of near-starvation, save for crusts from the same basket of bread, and threatening to forcibly eject the past month's - nay, decade's - worth of tragedy and loss in spurts of bile.</p><p>11. Crunch: Terror and sheer shock stay his hand from reaching out to cradle the back of his brother's head, and then the crunch of a leaf under a yet familiar, heavy tread presents another obstacle to further bodily contact.</p><p>12. Juicy: He wets his lips in anticipation of explaining himself, but his younger counterpart, eyes narrowed into slits, posturing only somewhat manufactured by youthful bravado, speaks first: "Who the Hel are you?"</p><p>13. Growling: Hands and teeth clenched, hammer brandished, the younger Thor is practically growling as he stalks menacingly towards the intruder, still far too close to Loki for comfort.</p><p>14. Silence: It's the arrival of yet another familiar face - a pair of them, even - that manages to squelch the younger Thor's advancement, leaving but shocked silence in its wake: Odin himself, flanked closely by Frigga, then joins the makeshift fray.</p><p>15. Hum: Odin's presence is as stifling and overbearing as ever, a sharp contrast to the whispered hum of enchanted energy that emanates from Frigga, inviting in a way the All-Father, as sorely as Thor feels his absence in his own time, could never hope to be.</p><p>16. Belched: "I wondered what could have driven both of my sons from the dining chamber so quickly"; Odin's demeanor is almost conversational: "Only a mighty belch from the voluminous Volstagg has ever managed to clear a room more quickly."</p><p>17. Bubbly: The sparkling, clear liquid sloshing in the goblet perched before him is unnecessarily fancy, especially compared to the tap water and stale toast that he's been subsisting on for weeks, but Thor is too bewildered and raw to think too much about it one way or the other.</p><p>18. Stale: The food here is likewise far richer than he's used to or worthy of as of late, but he finds himself spooning it into his mouth with only somewhat mechanical gusto while three pairs of eyes and one solitary orb watch him, waiting for their latent dinner guest to consume his fill.</p><p>19. Tingling: His mother's magic laps at the edges of his mind, tingling, seeking permission to enter, to verify that he is, in fact, himself.</p><p>20. Pressure: There is a slight build up of pressure as Frigga picks through what Thor can only assume is a thick, dark nest of memories and nightmares, and he tries to relax, tries to focus on how different this intrusion is from the ruthless press of the Power Stone against his temple.</p><p>21. Shine: Focusing momentarily on Loki's face is a rookie mistake; the tearful shine in his wide, unguarded gaze is too vulnerable, too close to recent events, and the comparison shudders bodily through him harsher than Frigga or even an Infinity Stone could.</p><p>22. Bland: His father's visage, weathered yet concerned though it is, is a blander, safer focal point as Frigga completes her compassionate yet thorough cataloguing of his mind.</p><p>23. Murmur: He can tell that his younger counterpart is yet wary of the proclamation that he can, nay, must stay until it can be determined how to send him back to his own time; "I'm not sharing my room," he eventually murmurs unhappily before taking his leave.</p><p>24. Dusty: The spare sleeping chamber is a bit dusty from disuse, but Thor assures Loki that it will more than suffice.</p><p>25. Smooth: His younger brother's normally smooth, practiced demeanor is uncharacteristically nervous as he maneuvers clumsily around Thor in the small space, only narrowly avoiding falling into the corded musculature of his bare arms.</p><p>26. Prickly: Thor does his best not to allow his amusement at the awkwardness between them to show, not wanting Loki's prickly nature to frighten him off.</p><p>27. Lush: A solid night's worth of rest rejuvenates his body and mind enough to wake up early enough for a mid-morning walk with Loki around their mother's lush gardens.</p><p>28. Azure: It's not his intention for the day, but then the Casket of Ancient Winters looms before them atop its low pedestal in Odin's treasure vault ("Perhaps there's something in here to help you get home," Loki had piped sweetly, accompanied by only the barest hint of mischief), its dim azure emanation lighting the path ahead.</p><p>29. Dizzying: The transformation from his Aesir glamour to his authentic Jotun form must be dizzying, or perhaps simply overwhelming in the stark truth that has suddenly been laid bare for Loki; he cries out, hands flying to his face, and Thor deftly intervenes, steadying the Casket on its stand.</p><p>30. Beauty: There is an exotic beauty in the congenital marks etched into Loki's now-blue skin, in the ruby gaze that quickly fills with tears when Thor, awed, gently pulls the younger's hands from his own face ("No, don't touch me, the ice will burn you!").</p><p>31. Burnt: To his credit, Loki manages to gather a fair amount of control over the defensive freezing mechanism of his true form, and succeeds only in leaving the breastplate of Thor's armor but somewhat burnt.</p><p>32. Clean: "N-not clean, cursed," Loki bears out through violent sobs, and trembles in Thor's bracing grasp.</p><p>33. Music: The cacophony of sound that occurs when the rest of their family arrives in the scant moments following, several Einherjar also in tow, is unpleasant and yet necessary, even the furious roar from Thor's younger self: "What have you done to my brother, monster!"</p><p>34. Searing: Odin's searing gaze is nothing compared to Frigga's as she wheels around to face her husband in barely muted fury, her words ("We need to talk, all of us, now") equally heated.</p><p>35. Homeostasis: It is not a comfortable conversation that follows, nor a short one, nor quiet, but there is a certain homeostasis that settles over the immediate kingdom as the truth comes out, all of it, and Thor finds himself envious of the strides towards peace taken today that he can only experience secondhand.</p><p>36. Wrinkle: Alas, the events of the day have put a fairly large wrinkle in the plan to concentrate on getting Thor back home, and it is decided that he will stay another night.</p><p>37. Squirm: Loki yet again insists, unnecessarily, on showing him to his temporary room, only squirming somewhat this time as they dance around one another in the small space.</p><p>38. Smoky: The smoky atmosphere from the chamber's small fireplace swirls around them, lingering as they seem to dally in saying their goodbyes for the evening.</p><p>39. Gray: The younger Thor's hammer is a loud gray streak as it whizzes between them, forcing them to duck out of the path of its return trip back to his doppelganger's taut, outstretched hand.</p><p>40. Billowy: Both their capes remain billowy in the electrified air well after Mjolnir has once again been retired to a wary resting position.</p><p>41. Sniff: It would be easy enough to escalate their aggressions to a full-fledged fight, hammer vs. axe, youth vs. hard-won wisdom, but a sudden sniff from Loki stays both their hands.</p><p>42. Crimson: The younger Thor's cape is a blur of crimson as he crosses the room's threshold at the elder's request ("Come, brother, he is in need of both our comforts").</p><p>43. Blush: The blush that rises high on younger Thor's cheeks threatens to blossom into rage anew as he watches Loki's lips linger against those of their visitor, but dissipates when Loki then turns his attentions to him.</p><p>44. Curls: Loki's dark curls bounce in time with the various thrusts and machinations bestowed upon him by both Thors; suffice it to say, the second evening is far less fitful than the first.</p><p>45. Squishy: In the light of the new day, all three of their faces are squishy and red from numerous onslaughts of tears and various excursions alike, a fact which the princes' private bathing chamber only somewhat alleviates.</p><p>46. Distant: This imposter Thor is at his most distant when pressed for details about the Loki of his time, enough that the youngsters eventually accept that the silent implications are less cruel than forcing him to admit the specifics of his sordid reality.</p><p>47. Supple: A supple combination of the Odinforce, Stormbreaker, and Heimdall's magics are eventually enough to send Thor on his way, hopefully back to a future that is kinder now than when he left it.</p>
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